As a designer, I am constantly inspired by music, my best creative projects have been influenced by music in one way or another, and my graduate collection is no different. I am an experimental creative, I enjoy challenging myself with the designs I come up with and the way I bring them to life, for costumes I use creative pattern cutting and work with me model or mannequin measurements, the shape of the panel piece and pattern paper to draw out the shapes, before toiling in a fabric as close to the real material as possible. This is often a trial-and-error method, however it’s the most interesting, challenging and exciting way of working for me because it’s like putting together a giant puzzle with a lot of maths. This does sometimes mean that I end up with multiple variations of the same panel piece, however, all of those extra panels and scrap pieces of fabric get sewn together with the rest of the deadstock, second hand or scrap fabrics to create the fabric for the final costume. This is how “Echoes of a Posthuman Dream” came to life.
The name of this collection comes from my research into Post humanistic philosophy, and the idea that concepts like AI were once only thing in dreams, but now it’s found in most, if not all of our modern day industries. The development of this technology echoes a future of existence beyond human. Each book in the collection is named after a song from the band Starset, which is the band that inspired the idea of the whole project. Starset are a cinematic, sci fi rock band with a fictional world that has links to real world examples of dystopia. For example, in this world, humans have BMI (Brain Machine Interface) that is eerily similar to the Neuralink brain reading threads that Elon Musk developed. From this research, I explored post humanistic philosophy (where does the human end and the ‘other’ begin). This philosophy inspired a lot of fashion collections, particularly those of Alexander McQueen.
I also briefly explored the opposing theory of Transhumanistic Philosophy (improving natural human characteristics through biotechnology and cognitive modifications) which links back to the works of people like Musk. The entire collection is made from scrap denim and Leather fabric, with the exception of the lining fabric in two costumes, none of the fabric was brand new. However, all of the fabric used is sustainable and used in environmentally conscious ways to produce the smallest amounts of waste possible. The materials of choice were largely inspired by the fashion company Demobaza, a company who Starset have used in the past to source parts of their stage costumes. I have tried to ensure the collection does not discriminate against any individual or group. Inclusivity is important to me as a designer and so all of my work is genderless and can be worn by any individual or group of people who would wishes, regardless of race, gender or other backgrounds. However, the target audience for this collection is Musicians, with the intention being that they are suitable for stage wear or in music videos. Essentially, my graduate collection challenges the oversaturation of Artificial Intelligence in design work and the creative industries |
